Telegraphic code teacher



June 21, 1949. HERMAN 2,473,749

TELEGRAPHIC CODE TEACHER Filed Sept. 4, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet J.

,0 FIG. I.

, 34 rr'r &\ \A \W m I 1 MENTOR ,0 v 42 HAROLD M. HERMAN,

ATTD R N EYE June 21, 1949. H. M. HERMAN TELEGRAPHIC CODE TEACHER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 4, 1946 FIG. 4.

1 INVENTOR. HAROLD M. HERMAN,

Patented June 21, 1949 PATENT EEI-C.E..,

TEDEGRAPIHC CODE-TEACHER am d Me crma rchioa q 1 Application September 4, 194-6; Serial-No. 694-;684 1 Claims, (Cl- 1781-115) comparatively simple:- indesign; highly t-efi'ioient:

in operation, and inexpen-sivetomanufacture,

Experience gained 1 by me--inth'e-practice of the telegraphic art has proved that the most practical and rapid method of learning onteaching, code reception-andsending is by 'theuse of mediums which willimpress-=thewisual;audible,

and tactile sensesof "astudent;- at one and-the same time, and "my invention-is di-rected-to that end the triple stimuli thus -employed providing the student with means -to;see,--hear,---andfeelythe code signals, and results in anvappreciableshort ening of the time of learning;

Generally, the apparatusis 4 comprised in a; current source, such as a low-=voltage battery; amain control switch; a telegraph key ofa -more or less conventional-type; anelectromagnet for actuating the key; an electric "light source asounder, such as a buzzei on-like;oscillator; a movable element carrying thedot and *dash char-'- acters, i. e., letters otth' alphabet numerals, and symbols, of eitherthe AmericanMorse-;or-Continental codes; a prime mover r-fondriving-th'e -mov-, able element; means for regulating =-th1espeedof the prime mover; and-anautomatic switchingde-t vice cooperative With-= the-movable-element --formaking and breaking the -circuit con rth'e light source, thesounder, and the electromagnet associated with the key, correspondingly for each of the codecharactersas theytmoverpast the same; theseveral instrumentalitiesibeing arranged in av convenient and compact assembly, on a suitable support or base-.- The;movable element may take the form of either adisc 0r.-a.;tape otanielectricalinsulating material andhavelthe codeicharacters formed by cutoutsor raisediimpressions,-. ormade separate therefrom and interchangeably mounted thereon. A housing. is .employedhto enclose the movable element and v is.1.:provided with a sight window through which legible characters, identifying respective code =characters,e-are exposed to view. Thus, with the apparatus insoperatipn, a student, with a hand properly positioned-gin relax tion to the key, will not only ieelIhegmovements of the latter as each of-the code characters are accurately produced, but, at-thc same time; will; both hear andoseelthe, dotandxdash forma i s, aswell a v ually .i entitxinerthsis e by' e r on e t e e ib e raptors-appearin atthe aforesaid sightwindow With, the "foregoing; and sotbqmoblectsaandindtvantages in view, the invention resides in the certain .new and useful ;combination, construction, and arrangement of instrumentalities,-par.ts,.and, circuits, as 1 will bew hereinafterl more. .fu-lly (18-- scribed, se.t;forth in the appendedclaims and. illustrated. in the accompanying drawings, where Figure 1 isa schematiciviewiof a-preferredremebodiment of theapparatus; ina accordanceavithz my invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary,longitudinalyvertic-a1 section, taken through: the line .-2' 2 on. Fig? ure 3, looking in .the direction of the-arrows,- showing the code signal. transmittingdisc andrthe automatic circuit make andwbreak switchingdevice cooperative therewith;-

Figure 3 is a vertical, sideyelevational viewg Figure 4 is a lfragmentary; transverse, vertical section, taken through: the :1ine14=4 on. Figure 5, looking in the direction oi the arrows:-

Figure 5 is a fragmentary,-vertical, side:elevation of thehOusing for the code-signal transmitting element, and showing the sight window:

through which legible characters; identifying re spective code characters,- are exposed'toview; and,"-

Figure 6 is -a cliagrammatical-view-of the elec-- trical circuit connections of -th several instrumentalitiesconstituting the apparatus.-

Referring tothe drawings in-detail; the im-- proved apparatus, as it is exemplified therein, is comprised in a base Ni -having -atelegraph key 12; a main control switch lt; a-buzzer-IS; a lamp; socket 20; anda circuit terminal bloc-14 24; mounted in spaced relationthereon; substantially: as shownin Figured.- An eleci'iromagnet -M-is also mounted on the loase l0"-'beneath--the forward end of the key:l2, and-the-socket -2ll'is provided with an electric lampr22,

Rising from-the base-l I rearWardly-of the foregoing instrumentalities; is 'a- -substantially circular casing 30 in which-a -codecharactertransmitting discMis housedand'mounted-forrotw tion on a shaft 46 arranged in driven-connection with the rotor shaft of an electric motor mounted on the rear-"side ofr the casing- MB," by' means of bolts or. screws-42 The transmitting discJM- has its edge notched,- aswat .48, in-'representationrof-ithe dot and dashcombinations forming:code charactersy i. 5 e., le'ttersmumerals,and/orsymbolsandthesenotches; during the rotation. ofthedisc,-suecessively en-- gage .the movable contact arm- 52, oi a switching device :50; causing it to make and break- "contact with" the fixed-- contact-arm "56%? the latter; the; movable contactarm-=52 being normally held 'one open circuit by means of a coil spring 54. This switching device 50 is housed within a part 32, which is offset from the lower side of the casing 30 to support the same in vertical position, to which end it is provided with laterally extending ears 34 that are apertured to receive bolts or the like 40 for its securement to the base 10. The front wall 36, of the casing 30, is removable, it being normally held in place by means of screws 38.

The circuit terminal block 24 is provided with pairs of interconnected terminal posts 24a, 24b, and 24c, 2411; a battery 58 being connected across the posts 24a and 240, while a conductor 60 connects the post 24b direct with one terminal of the motor M, and a conductor 62, the post 24d, through a rheostat 64, to the remaining terminal of the motor; the rheostat being provided to permit of the regulation of the speed of the motor and, consequently, that of the code transmitting disc 44. Other circuit connections are as follows: A conductor 66 connects the post 24b, of the terminal block 24, to one side of the main control switch i6, and a conductor 68, the opposite side of the latter, with a terminal of the electromagnet M, which terminal, in turn, is connected by a conductor to a terminal of the telegraph key I2. A conductor 12 connects the other terminal of the key l2 to a terminal of the buzzer l8 and a conductor M the remaining terminal of the latter to a terminal of the lamp socket 20, while a conductor 16 connects the other terminal of the lamp socket to the fixed contact 56, of the switching device 50. A conductor 18 branches oil from the conductor 16 and connects with the remaining terminal of the electromagnet [4, while a conductor 80 extends from the post 24d, of the terminal block 24, and connects with the movable contact arm 52, of the switching device 50.

In the use of the code practice set as thus provided, and with the battery 58 connected to the terminal block 24 as stated, the motor M will start up and have its speed regulated by manipulation of the rheostat 64. With the starting up of the motor M, the code transmitting disc 44 will be rotated relatively to the movable contact arm 52, of the switching device 50, and the portions of its edge, between the notches 48, will successively exert a cam-like action on that contact arm and cause it to make and break the circuit at the fixed contact arm 56. By now closing the main control switch I5, with each closing of the circuit at the contact arms 52, 56, of the switching device 58, current will flow from the battery 58, by way of the posts 24a, 24b, conductor 66, the main control switch IS, the conductor 68, to one terminal of the electromagnet l4, where it divides, with a part passing through the electromagnet coils to the other terminal thereof and the other part passing, by way of the conductor 10 to the terminals of the telegraph key l2 and, from thence, by way of the conductor 12, the terminals of the buzzer IS, the lamp socket 20, and the conductor 16, to the fixed contact arm 56, of the switching device 50. From the said other terminal of the electromagnet I4, the divided part of the current, passing through the coils, flows by way of the conductor '18 to the point of the connection of the same with the conductor 16 and by the latter to the fixed contact arm 56, of the switching device 50. From the fixed contact arm 56, the current returns to the battery 58, by way of the movable contact arm 52, the conductor 80, and the terminal 24d. 24a, of the terminal block 24.

posts With the apparatus operating in this manner, the 'telegraph key l2, the buzzer l8, and the lamp 22, will be simultaneously energized by each impulse of current flowing through the circuit connecting these instrumentalities with the switching device 50 and the battery 58, so that a student will both hear and see the code signals transmitted from the latter when it is actuated by the disc 44, due to the sound emitted by the buzzer and the flicker of the lamp; Also, by gripping the key l2 in an approved manner, the student will quickly learn the feel of the movements thereof in the forming of the dots and dashes of the code characters, as well as the pauses or intervals between the same, the duration of which being governed by the speed of rotation of the disc 44, as regulated from the rheostat 64. Additionally, the code characters formed on, or carried by, the disc 44, may be visually identified by the placing alongside of the same the corresponding legible characters, 1. e., letters, numerals, and/or symbols, for exposure through a sight window 82, provided in the removable front wall 36, of the casing 30, substantially as shown in Figures 3 through 5. In lieu of the buzzer l8, an audio oscillator (not shown), with headphone (not shown) may be employed to advantage, since it gives a good signal without making any noise to be heard by other than the recipient and also produces a tone more closely simulating actual (radio) signals.

Having thus fully described a practical and preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that the words which I have used are words of description rather than of limitation, and that changes within the purview of the appended claim may be made without departing from the true scope and spirit of my invention in its broader aspects.

What I claim is:

A telegraphic code teaching apparatus, comprising a base, a casing mounted in an upright position on the base, a horizontal shaft rotatably mounted in the casing, a disk fixed to the shaft and provided on its periphery with code characters, an electric motor fixed to the casing against one side thereof, gear means establishing a driving connection between the armature shaft of the motor and said first shaft, a telegraph key mounted upon the base at the opposite side of the casing, a part of said key constituting an armature, electro-magnets fixed to the base below the armature, switch means located within the base below the disk havin a, fixed contact and a pivoted contact, a spring normally holding the movable contact out of engagement with the fixed contact, an arm on the pivoted contact positioned for contact by the code characters of the disk, said characters and spring constituting means ultimately opening and closing the switch, conductors connecting the contacts with the electromagnet and with the current source.

HAROLD M. HERMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 737,936 Chinnock Aug. 25, 1903 1,449,305 Snyder Mar. 20, 1923 1,557,247 Garner Oct. 13, 1923 2,341,222 Lancaster Feb. 8, 1944 2,425,122 Petty Aug. 5, 1947 

